The modern population has become increasingly more dependent on clock radios and alarm clocks to awaken them from sleep at predetermined times. If even a brief lapse of electrical power should occur during the night, the result can be disastrous causing many people to oversleep and arrive late to their work, school or other activity.
While systems for automatic switchover to generator power or the like in the event of a power failure are well known, such systems because of their expense are used primarily only in such critical places as hospitals.
Furthermore, self contained units for emergency lighting are known which sense the line voltage and turn on emergency lights when no line voltage is present. Pat. No. 1,511,097 to Althoff et al is illustrative in this regard.